Odoratae Candelae
by Audley
Summary: It means 'Scented Candles' in Latin. Several vignettes from various points of view...and various noses. Are you ready for Chapter 7? That's what I thought! And here it is, baby!
1. Kindness

Kindness

It's that smell again.

That one I hate.

It's the smell of that damn Yuki—that damn Rat.

And he smells like one too.

Yuki smells like a rat—a rat that I want to kill.

And then I sigh.

Because that's not all he smells like.

Yuki smells like dirt and vegetables—leeks. I shudder. I hate leeks. And whatever laundry detergent Tohru uses on our clothes—he smells like that too.

I sigh again, staring up at the sky. I can't stay mad at anyone for long—not while there's at least some trace of her around.

Even the smell of the LAUNDRY DETERGENT that I know SHE uses calms me down.

It's ridiculous, really.

But I know I really don't hate Yuki as much as I used to. And I've stopped trying to fight him. (But I still hate leeks. Nothing could change that.)

Everyone thinks I don't know why.

I do.

It's because of her—because I know it hurts her when we fight. I don't want to hurt her. I don't want her to be hurt. I want her to be happy. Because I love her.

Everyone thinks I don't know that yet either.

But I do.

And I know that my loving her will only hurt her in the end.

But I can't help loving her all the same.

I think Yuki loves her too.

And I think Shigure might love her—but it's really impossible to know anything for sure about him. He's like a book—like the saying 'Don't judge a book by its cover.' Shigure's like that. On the outside, he may be smiling, but on the inside, he's probably up to something.

Something perverted, most likely.

It makes some sense though—because Shigure smells like ink and paper and (strangely enough) kind of like an overheated computer. I guess that's because he spends so much time typing. I know that all the manuscripts his editor has to beg him for are usually all done—he just likes to make her beg, I think.

Dumb dog.

Speaking of dogs, he smells like one too. 'Specially when he's wet.

Then, (since I'm thinking about smells anyway) there's her smell.

Tohru's smell.

Tohru usually smells like sugar. And whatever she'd been cooking that day. And then there's the smell of her soap—which I know is Sweet Pea body wash.

Not that I've been snooping around in her bathroom or anything! I was just...in there once and I noticed it. That's all.

But there's something else that clings to her.

It took me a while to realize what it was. When I first met her, I smelled it, and it baffled me. She baffled me. (She still does, sometimes.)

But it was there all the same. It's hard to describe...kind of like the smell of baking cookies (the sugar kind) mixed in with the smell of sunshine, which is warm-like. And the way a forest smells after a really long thunderstorm, all clean and kind of fresh. It's all of that—the cookies and the warmth and the rain and all—mixed in with the smell of tears.

And that's the only part that makes sense, really, because Tohru cries so much I'm surprised she's not permanently damp. I mean, she breaks down at least twice a day! It's ridiculous. But I don't mind anymore. I'm used to it by now.

But I digress.

When I first met Tohru, when I first smelled that unique smell, even though I didn't know what it was, it attracted me. It was like catnip—I was addicted instantly. Now I know what it is.

It's the smell of kindness.

Tohru smells like kindness.

And I came to love that smell...

"Yuki-kun! Dinner is ready!" Tohru called out the door. I found myself irrationally hoping that she would come up here to call me in to dinner.

"Kyo-kun!" Tohru's head popped over the side of the roof and she smiled at me. "Dinnertime!"

I smiled back.

...just as I came to love her.

_Fin_

See? NOT technically fluff. No action. Wait...so does that mean no lemons/limes? What are lemons/limes? Don't tell me--I'll figure it out on my own! Eventually...

The way I see it, because Yuki and Kyo can turn into a rat and a cat, they have superior noses. Thus, they can smell. Oops...just gave you a preview for the next chapter! Yes, it's Yuki...No, I'm not telling you anymore than that.

Review...if you FEEL like it.


	2. Love

Disclaimer: _I _know I'm not Natsuki Takaya, _You_ know I'm not Natsuki Takaya, so now that we _both _know that_ **I am not Natsuki Takaya**_, we can skip the disclaimer and go straight to the fic. N'kay?

Love

"Yuki-kun! Dinner is ready!" Honda-san's voice startles me. I turn to smile at her, but she's already gone to tell Kyo. I sigh.

It seems like everything's suddenly about Kyo these days.

She's climbing the ladder to the roof—I can hear her footsteps.

"Kyo-kun!" I can feel her smiling at him. "Dinnertime!" I—oh no. There it is again. That scent—I don't know what it is. It's not a bad scent...but it...confuses me. And its only around when they're together.

Kyo and Honda-san.

It seems that, as of late, when those two are together, there's this new scent that practically reeks off them. It's not a bad scent in any way, it's just—different. It's unique. Original. I'd never smelled it before they became friends. But now it's around all the time, twining around that stupid cat and Honda-san like, well, like a stupid cat.

Honda-san comes down the ladder, followed by Kyo. The scent washes down ahead of them. I breathe deeply, trying to figure out just what it is.

It rather reminds me of candy, like a sweet, almost sugary smell. It's also like fresh flowers—big, beautiful, red roses. And if I breathe very deeply—which I don't do very often because I don't want Honda-san or Kyo to think I go around sniffing people or anything (because I don't!)—it smells like blood and tears. Not blood in a morbid way—blood kind of like blushing or a heart speeding up or something.

And the tears part makes sense. Honda-san does tend to cry a lot.

But the scent covers both of them. At times its stronger than usual, like when their hands inadvertently touch or when they're alone on the roof talking about God knows what. It's really strong then—I can smell it all the way downstairs.

It's rather sickening, actually.

I can hear Honda-san pattering towards me.

"Yuki-kun? Are you not coming in for dinner?" she asks, worried.

I sigh. There's no sign of that scent when she's around me. Just her normal Honda-san smell—sugar, her soap, and whatever we usually end up eating for dinner. It's the same when I'm around Kyo and she's not near us. He smells normal, like cat and sweat. And the laundry detergent Honda-san uses on the clothes. (Not that I smell him often or anything, but...you just come to know these things when you live with someone.)

I only smell that scent when they're together.

I admit, it makes me feel a bit left out. And if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm also a little jealous. It's becoming apparent to everyone (minus the ever stupid Kyo) that Honda-san has feelings for Kyo that she doesn't have for me. But...I love her too. I know I do.

And then it dawns on me.

It's so obvious—I can't believe I didn't see it before!

Everyone can see how Kyo feels about Honda-san. (Except, of course, Honda-san.) And we're all pretty sure Honda-san feels the same way. (Even if she doesn't know it yet.)

Which perfectly explains what the mysterious scent is.

It's love.

"Yuki-kun?" Honda-san asks again, jerking me out of my thoughts.

She's really worried now. And I can understand why—here I am sitting here and staring off into space like an idiot while dinner is waiting on the table. I sigh again and shake my head.

"Sorry. I'm fine, Honda-san. I was just thinking." Kyo gives me a weird look as I step into the room. It annoys me more than usual.

"What, stupid cat, never heard of someone thinking before? Oh—of course not. You've never heard of anything you've never done before. That's why you're so stupid," I say lightly, deliberately goading him. His face darkens in anger. He opens his mouth to retort but sighs and shuts it again.

It surprises me. I look at Shigure. He too, is shocked, although—is that a hint of pride in his eyes? I look at Honda-san.

She's beaming at Kyo, and that scent is practically oozing off her again. I nearly gag, it's so strong. Now Shigure's looking at me funny. I ignore him and sit down.

The scent persists all through dinner. Honda-san and Kyo keep glancing at each other and blushing.

The scent—of love, I know—only grows.

It's sickening, actually.

_Fin_

Ha...gotta love Yuki. Actually, I hate Yuki. Or at least strongly dislike him. I would hate him more if he weren't such a crucial and mysterious character. Who is occasionally funny. But Kyo is still my favorite. And I still think Yuki needs to hurry up and find himself a girlfriend (or a boyfriend...snicker) quickly so he can get on with his own life and leave Tohru and Kyo to fall in love with each other in peace. Well, relative peace. Peace and comedy. Yeah, that's it.

I know this doesn't exactly correspond with what's going on in the manga, but I wrote it nonetheless. I can pretend, right?

Do you want to know something about me? I can't stand slash fics. I call them slash because I am 1) American, and 2) I do NOT speak Japanese so I'm not really sure what they call it (yaoi? Shonen-ai? Or something) SO NO SLASHY FOR ME! I see the summaries and my eye starts twitching. And sometimes, a muscle in my neck spazzes of it's own accord. I nearly went into hysterics when I saw a particularly racy one the other day...egad, I'm making myself sick just thinking about it. MOVING ON...

Yes, actually, contrary to what I'm sure is becoming popular belief among those who are actually interested, I do have other interests besides Fruits Basket. It just so happens that I like Furuba best right now, is all. And I only get inspirations for Furuba fanfics. It's weird.

AHH, wow! I've typed SO much. Sorry! I wonder if anyone actually reads my author's notes. I like to read other people's. And then I respond to them in my reviews. So you do the same. If you read the IMMENSELY long but TOTALLY interesting and HIGHLY AMUSING author's notes I have put at the end, then respond in your reviews.

Oh, and try and fit in something about how you liked my fic, if you can. Flames will be used to light the scented candles I use to illuminate my room and make it smell nice so I have a nice environment in which to write more fics. :smiles sweetly:

Thanks so much, and until the next chapter/story...toodles poodles! (Which is my own personal goodbye thingy that I thought up all by myself. You know, like see you later, alligator and stuff? Like that.)

ALL RIGHT, I'm DONE!

Audley Aching for Conversation


	3. Body Odor

B.O.

"Tohru!" Uo half-shouted, jerking Tohru out of her daze.

"Huh? Oh! I'm sorry, Uo-chan, I was just thinking..." Tohru's voice trailed off. Uo raised an eyebrow.

"You were thinking..." she prompted, when Tohru didn't continue.

"Huh?"

"What were you thinking about?" Uo repeated patiently.

"Oh! Um, uh, it's nothing, really!" Tohru stammered, blushing. Uo stared at her.

"Uh-huh. Which is why you've been spacey all day."

"EH! Ah...I'm sorry..." Tohru sighed. "It's just..."

"What?" A thought struck Uo. "Wait a—did Orangey or Prince Charming do something to you? What about that writer guy? I swear, Tohru, if any of those filthy men so much as TOUCHED you, I'll..." She left the unspoken threat hovering in the air and scowled.

Tohru squeaked in alarm. "Um, no! Please don't! I mean, er, eh, no! They haven't, uh, touched me or anything!"

"Then WHAT?"

"Er...well...I think I may...um...smell bad," Tohru said in a very small voice, flushing awkwardly.

Uo blinked.

"What...you mean like B.O. or something?"

Tohru nodded, too ashamed to speak.

Uo burst into laughter. Tohru fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Um...I don't see what is funny..."

Uo managed to get her laughter under control. Barely.

"Tohru, you do not smell bad," she said seriously.

"Are you sure?" Tohru asked anxiously.

Uo leaned in close to Tohru and sniffed exaggeratedly.

"Positive," she said, winking at Tohru.

Tohru exhaled in relief. "Oh, good!"

Uo resisted the urge to giggle and instead asked "So why did you think you smelled bad?"

Tohru started fidgeting again, her face turning red. "Oh, um...no reason, really."

"Uh-huh..."

Tohru sighed. "Eh...well...I think there's something wrong with Yuki and Kyo then, because lately it seems like every time I pass them, like, in the hallway or at home, they take a deep breath and... Well...it seems like they're...um...smelling me or something. So...er...that's why I thought I might smell bad, and they were just too polite to tell me about it..." Tohru's voice trailed off as she became aware of Uo's laughter.

"What's so funny?" she asked finally.

_Fin_

My friend and I thought this up and found it HILARIOUSLY funny. We were talking about the fics (because I always ask her advice about fics etc) and suddenly I thought of what Tohru would say if she found out Yuki and Kyo could smell her, and so I said,

'Hey, if Tohru ever found Kyo and Yuki could smell her, I bet she'd say: "Um...I think there might be something wrong with Yuki and Kyo, because every time I pass them they take a really deep breath like"—and here I took a really exaggerated breath through my nose so that it made a snorting sound—"they're, um...smelling me or something."' And we just found it hilarious. Hmmm...Maybe it was a 'be-there' thing. It started then though, and gradually evolved into this. Which I hope you found funny. Let me know!

REVIEWS OR BUST!

Audley Hilarious


	4. Darkness

Darkness

"_He was filled with nothing but the scent of darkness that resembled death..."_

-Kazuma, book 9

Every time, a little more of Kyo would slip into that cold abyss. He would lose a little more color, a little more spirit, and a little more life.

Every time he was reminded of his curse—his past—his future.

Every New Years' banquet he wasn't invited to.

Every fight he lost to Yuki.

Every time he saw Akito.

He would sink a little more into himself, close off his eyes and ears. He would fall a little, under the burden he never wanted to carry.

He would try to shove it off—force it onto someone else. Force his guilt and shame away by blaming someone else.

It grew a little, that burden, every time Kyo's past came back to haunt him. It might die down a little; the feelings subside for awhile, or be forgotten in the rushes of adrenaline and ignored out of exhaustion.

And then, when something happened, they'd all come raging back and he'd fall again.

Sometimes, when it was especially bad, I'd find him, bruised and bloody from another lost battle with Yuki, just sitting.

Sitting. Not crying. Tears would just fall. And he couldn't stop them.

My heart broke when I saw him like that.

Because I could feel it—feel the darkness eating away at him. I could tell.

He was dying a little bit each time.

I could almost smell it on him—death, despair, darkness.

Kyo's feelings of shame, guilt, anguish, anger—they oozed out of him like palpable slime. They hung heavy in the air around him, stifling, suffocating, drowning him. They clustered around him, clung to him, wicked demons that fed off his misery. Lived off of how unhappy he was.

And it hurt me.

To see him—my son. My son, my Kyo, like this—dying on the inside, rotting from the core—it hurt.

It was a physical pain in my chest to see him _so_ depressed. So _unhappy_.

Because he didn't—

—doesn't—

—never will

deserve it.

His fate—

—his curse—

—his future—

Do they think he wanted it? Do they think he deserves it? Do they think he wants to be the Cat? To be locked up? Do they think he killed his mother? Do they?

Because he didn't. He was just a little boy. He did nothing. He loved her.

And the thought of her is killing him every day.

His father—his biological father. Blaming him...hating him. He's killing Kyo too.

And Akito. Akito pushes. Akito has pushed Kyo further down the road to death and destruction. Akito pushes and pushes. He pushes the hate and the enmity between Yuki and Kyo.

He pushes Kyo farther and farther away from the Juunishi. He knows—Akito knows that sooner or later, he will push him too far, push him too hard, and Kyo will break.

Akito's trying to kill him.

Kyo hates them all—his mother, his biological father, Akito. Yuki. He hates them. He knows they'll kill him someday.

But the person Kyo hates most is himself.

And that scent intensifies—waves of self-loathing and hatred and anger and despair are emanating off him.

I say 'scent'—but it's not that, exactly. It's more like an impression of a sense of a scent, almost. Kyo would come home, covered in dirt and mud and blood and sweat and tears, and he would storm by without looking at me, and I'd just catch a whiff of something...

Something that reminds me of cold nights. Cold, lonely, dark nights. Nights of an empty ground under a blank, bleak, black sky.

Cold nights...and cages. Cramped, stuffy, dark cages. Smelly cages, like a tortured animal has been locked in and left to die. Suffocating cages.

It was the smell of darkness—

—death.

The death of Kyo's spirit, drowning in despair and hatred and other feelings no one deserves to feel.

And it hurt me. It hurt me so much.

_Fin_

**Author's Notes:**

I know! I know this didn't have all that much to do with smell. But I had to write it. And then, once I had written it, I found it so depressing that I had to write a sequel.

I think I did a fairly good job on this. No, it's not as cute or fluffy or funny as the other ones, but don't worry! I have plenty of ideas for cute and fluffy and funny ones. In fact, I'm even thinking of a Kisa/Hiro one to come in a few chapters...hint hint

So stick with me! I'm not done with these smelly candles yet!

Hey...does any think it would be cool to walk into a candle shop—like Yankee Candles or something (I don't know I barely leave my room!)—and find scented candles for emotions? Like kindness and love and stuff? Maybe not b.o. though...snort

I will then. Someday, in the far, far, undoubtedly far away future, when I am rich and/or famous, I will market my own line of "Emotion" scented candles. I will turn to these fics for inspiration too. Although by then I will be an author of several critically acclaimed novels (all of which will have been on the best-seller's list at least once), and will most likely have forgotten all about these petty fanfictions I worked on in my younger days...

Nonsense! I never forget a fic! And I can make twice as much money with my line of 'Scented Feelings' (and I thought that up all by myself too! preens), scented candles then I could just with my novels, which will each have won a different literary award.

Again with the long author's notes! I'm sorry.

Read? Review! Please review! Tell me what you thought! I love my reviewers!

Oh goodness...that sounded like I was begging, didn't it? Well now, we can't have that!

So, if you please, if it should so please you to please me by reviewing—which pleases me because I am pleased that you are pleased to please review to please me...review, if you are not cross-eyed and/or suffering a migraine.

Audley Pleased to Please and Be Pleased.

PS: Please!


	5. Hope

Hope

"_Even so...the reason you are alive now...is that you haven't given up hope, is it not?  
_

_It's not true that everyone in this world has rejected you. You know this, don't you?"_

"_I don't...I don't know what you're talking about. I don't...have any hope."_

"_You do."_

"_NO I DON'T! _

_I don't..."_

"_Even if you don't have any now...surely it will come to you again. Just as, no matter how hard you try to keep it away, despair will attack you again and again. In the same manner, hope will return to you._

_Again...and again._

_...It will surely bloom."_

Kyo is strong—stronger than he knows.

He wants to give up. To let go, drop the burden he carries and let himself be crushed. He wants to just fall and let the current carry him on.

He thinks it would be easy to give in. To forfeit his life, stop trying. He thinks it would be so easy.

He wants to give in.

But he can't. He knows—he obsesses over how easy it would be. To end his life, just give up and let everyone else win. He really believes that he could.

But he can't. There is a natural resilience in Kyo that will not let him fall. It will not let him give in, stop trying, give up. It will not let him die.

Not yet.

Kyo doesn't understand it—why can't he just die? Why doesn't he just kill himself?

He thinks he has every reason to. He thinks he killed his mother. He thinks he's trampled on so many lives. He thinks he's shameless, the way he burdens every one else with his pointless existence. He thinks it would be better if he just died.

But he can't.

He can't give up. He can't let go. He can't let himself die.

Not yet.

Because Kyo knows—some part of him knows. That little part of him that refuses to just lie down and let the current sweep him away. That little part of him—that small thought of self-preservation in his mind that won't let him let go of the cliff and just fall. That niggling conscience that says he can't fall, not yet, he's just got to push himself more and he can do it. He can't fall yet, he hasn't beaten Yuki.

That little part of him will nag and pull on him until he does get up and try again. Until he stands on his own two feet—that little voice will nag and nag and nag him.

Because that little voice knows...Kyo's river ends in falls. His burden will crush him—extinguish his spirit. The second that Kyo gives up—really and totally gives up—he dies. He will truly and utterly be defeated then.

And that can't happen yet.

And Kyo's little voice also knows why.

Kyo knows, deep down, that he'll never, ever give up. Not really.

Not as long as there is still hope.

Because there is always hope.

Kyo doesn't understand this yet—that no matter what, no matter how many times despair attacks, hope will be there with a bright smile and a band-aid.

He lives for that hope. It sustains him—keeps him alive. That hope that someday he will be saved.

That hope—like a bright star in the black sky, it will shine. A door will open, illuminating his cage, releasing him from his chains, setting him free.

A flower will bloom.

No matter how many times he tries to beat it away, close his eyes and turn away, hope will find him.

Because it hasn't given up on him yet.

And Kyo hasn't given up yet. He hasn't given up hope that he will be saved—that someday, someone will hold out their hand to him. That one day, someone can love him.

He never really stopped hoping.

And he never really will.

And then he met Tohru-san.

Slowly, slowly, the death and darkness within him just melted away. The terrible scent faded.

To be replaced with one like an early morning—a fresh start. A clean, fresh smell. One that had a hint of sugar and sunshine in it.

To be replaced by hope.

Kyo is starting to grow—

—to hope—

—to love.

_Fin_

**Author's notes**: Again, not all that much to do with scent. But hey, my story—my rules. So MEH!

This is, by the way, the sequel to Darkness.

Uwah! I don't own Fruits Basket! The dialogue at the top is from volume 11, chapter 63. Hope—this fic—was based on it. So I put it in. And it's not mine! Well, the fic is, but not the dialogue!

If you haven't read volume 11, I suggest you do, but until then, know that the dialogue is between Kyo and Kazuma. Hope is also in Kazuma's point-of-view, in case you hadn't guessed that already.

I like this chapter, I really do. The first draft I did was weak, but I think this turned out okay. Let me know what you think—in your reviews!

And this is the last of the 'angst' chapters. I don't usually write a lot of angst. No really—I just don't. Hope and Darkness are the two exceptions, so far. I just write what the muses and djinns and vicious killer plot bunnies tell me to. Also, I don't usually have enough patience for angst. In my opinion, angst is usually an excuse for teenagers to be self-centered and stupid. So I don't write much.

Anyway! Next chapter is another funny one—I felt I needed a break after the seriousness of Darkness and Hope. And after that we're back to sweet 'n' fluffy ones. I promise!

So...review! Please? (But we won't go into that again...) Review, let me know what you thought, be honest, and point out any spelling/grammar mistakes, so I can note them for future reference and never do it again. Ever.

Thanks! It means a lot that you even read this story...but it would mean so much more if you reviewed.

Audley Angst-a-phobic.


	6. The Stench of Discovery

The Stench of Discovery

This chapter is Dedicated to Sacre Bleu, who mostly thought up this idea...I wrote it though! So there! And I'm also dedicating it to her because if I don't then she'll maim and/or dismember me...

* * *

I first noticed it a few nights ago when we were all sitting down for dinner. Kyo came in and took a deep breath. I assumed he was merely inhaling the wonderful aroma of the equally wonderful dinner our flower prepared for us. It didn't even occur to me that to think he was sniffing our _flower_—even though she was right there. 

And then Yuki came in and made some sort of insult to Kyo, who managed to hold his temper—barely. I was proud. Our little baby—all grown up!

Then Yuki took a deep breath and started making weird faces. He looked faintly sick all through dinner, and it seemed to me like he was trying all together too hard not to breathe in through his nose.

I thought nothing of it until a week later, when I just happened to pop into Tohru-kun's bathroom on a completely random stroll through the house while the boys and flower were conveniently at school. I do have a knack for coincidences like that, don't I?

But I happened to notice her bottle of scented body wash was almost empty, which was unusual because she had only bought it last week. And Tohru-kun isn't one to waste things. While I was leaving, I accidentally looked over into her trashcan—there were two empty deodorant sticks in there.

'_How odd!_' I thought to myself. I decided to check her medicine cabinet on a hunch. Sure enough—there was a half-empty bottle of perfume in there. It seemed our flower was suddenly concerned with her personal smell...suddenly I became very interested in her personal smell as well.

Telling myself I was only investigating, I sprayed it a few times into the air.

I nearly passed out, it was so strong! It was a foul, nasty, cloying _odor _that hung around in the air long after I had chucked the bottle back in the medicine cabinet and slammed the door shut.

My eyes watering, I pulled a corner of my kimono up to shield my delicate nose and cautiously opened the cabinet door again. I picked up the bottle and examined it.

'_Fresh Hyacinth—the scent never fades!'_ it said. The bottle itself was plastic, cheap and tacky. I threw it in the wastebasket hastily and scurried from the room, lest I die from intoxication.

Soon I was safely ensconced in my office with a freshly lit cigarette and my books around me. I felt much calmer and was able to turn my mind to more important matters.

It occurred to me that the only reason Tohru-kun must have had that horrible mixture was because she couldn't afford anything better.

I decided to buy her some decent perfume for her next birthday. Something light and flowery and...alluring, perhaps?

A sudden vision of Yuki's and Kyo's murderous faces caused me to twitch involuntarily. I let the matter go.

But it didn't end there! Two days later, Kazuma-dono came round for dinner, and I swear, every time he passed Kyo his nostrils flared, as if he were unobtrusively trying to smell something that he couldn't quite get a fix on. Most unusual.

I said nothing, however, and retired to my study soon after.

Where I spent the next day-and-a-half thinking about these strange happenings, er, happening in my household.

I ended up pacing back and forth, frustrated that I could not figure out what was going on in the noses of my family and Tohru-kun.

Then a thought struck me.

"I wonder..." I said aloud. I rushed quickly from the room, eager to have my suspicion confirmed.

The first person I encountered was Kyo-kun.

"Kyo-chan!" I cried, running towards him. "Let me smell you!"

The look on Kyo's face was priceless, but in retrospect I suppose it wasn't one of my better ideas.

Next was Yuki-kun. He walked into the living room to see what Kyo was yelling about.

"What is Kyo yelling about now?" he asked, looking annoyed. I escaped Kyo and dashed over to him.

"Yuki-kun! I must smell you!"

This time the pain was worth it. Yuki went from white to red to purple in a matter of seconds. Shock, suspicion, and guilt played over his face, confirming my guess.

Tohru-kun pattered into the room, wiping her hands on a dish towel and looking worried.

"What's wrong!" she cried

"Tohru-kun!" I leapt towards her and grasped her hands.

"Tohru-kun! There is a very serious experiment I need your help in! Will you help me?"

"E-experiment? H-help you? Shigure-san, I don't...um...?" She is _so _cute when she's confused.

"Please help me! I can't do it without you!"

"O-okay, Shigure-san! I'll...um...try!"

"Tohru-kun," I said seriously, leaning towards her. "I need to smell you."

I didn't get to though, because at that moment Yuki and Kyo caught up (Really, they can be so slow...), and I had to run for my life.

It was worth it though.

I shut myself in my office, grinning like a fool.

I felt like I had accomplished a lot today. I had succeeded in annoying both Yuki AND Kyo; I had managed to get closer to Tohru-kun, that adorably delicious morsel, than I had been able to in ages, and I had figured out the big deal with noses and breathing was.

Kazuma-dono had been smelling Kyo! Yuki and Kyo were smelling Tohru-kun! It made so much sense! And...maybe not just her! Were they perhaps smelling each other? Oh, the possibilities!

I sat down in my chair, still smiling. I couldn't wait to tell everyone I knew about it.

I had picked up the phone to call Aaya when another thought struck me.

"What do I smell like?" I wondered aloud. I put the phone down and tentatively lifted an arm above my head.

I sniffed my armpit and nearly fell over.

"Whew! God, I smell like I need a shower!"

_Fin_

Author's notes: This is the funny chapter I promised. I felt we needed a comedic relief after the angst of the previous two chapters. Hmm...I get the feeling I've already mentioned that already.

Oh well! This—The Stench of Discovery—was another one thought up by me and my friend. The same friend who helped me think up Body Odor, in fact, and I feel I can now reveal that friend to be none other than...Sacre Bleu! Yes! It is she and no one else that I must dedicate this chapter to! See dedication at the top.

In reality, I said something like..."I wonder what Shigure would do if he found out everyone was smelling each other?" and she said something like "What if they tried to smell themselves?" and then I said, "Shigure would say... "Hm...I wonder what I smell like?' and then he would tentatively raise his arms above his head and smell his armpits and go 'Whew! I need a shower!' Or something like that."

Again, one of those things you had to be there for...and it was funnier the first time I said it. But anyway! Next chapter will be sweet and cute and fluffy, I solemnly swear! You'll see.

So...review if you liked it and review if you didn't! Or if you just have something to say. I like to review other people's stories because when you read a fic—whether you like it or not—I feel you have a duty to review it, let the person know what you thought or how to improve. That's what is all about right? Reading fics, yes, but also being able to post them and have other readers/writers give you their opinions on them.

Thus:

Read? Review!

Audley Also Needs a Shower...


	7. Jealousy

Jealousy

Kisa knows Hiro-chan is much nicer than he lets on. Kisa can tell, because Hiro-chan smells too nice to really be mean. 

Kisa thinks Hiro-chan smells like lemonade—a sour drink but with lots of sugar that makes him sweet. Sometimes he is very sour. And sometimes he is very sweet.

Hiro-chan also smells soft and wooly, Kisa thinks, like a baby lamp. But if Hiro-chan knew this, it would make him embarrassed.

Kisa giggles. Hiro-chan is like a sheep in ram's clothing—a sweet person who tries to be tough and mean.

But he's not mean at all, Kisa thinks. He's just very awkward sometimes, she knows. Kisa smiles.

She is very happy Hiro-chan likes her again.

She likes Hiro-chan very much too.

She also thinks Hiro-chan smells very nice.

Except...Kisa frowns. Hiro-chan does not smell nice all the time. He does not smell nice at all when he is around her onee-chan, Kisa realizes.

Kisa loves Hiro-chan. Kisa loves her onee-chan. Hiro-chan loves Kisa. Hiro-chan does not love her onee-chan.

It makes Kisa sad.

When Hiro-chan is around her onee-chan, she thinks, he smells bad.

There is a bad smell then—one that reminds Kisa of vinegar, which is strong and very sour. And she also thinks it's like spoiled milk, which is very very yucky smelling, and it makes Kisa feel sick.

But it is also smelly like a very ripe peach—too ripe. A too-ripe peach that is too sweet and too squishy and goes everywhere when you step on it.

A rotten peach, Kisa thinks.

All those bad smells—Kisa doesn't like them. They make her nervous when she smells them on Hiro-chan.

And she only smells it on him when her onee-chan is around.

Kisa loves her onee-chan. Hiro-chan does not. Kisa loves Hiro-chan too, though.

Sometimes Kisa feels split in two—she loves her onee-chan and Hiro-chan, but who does she love best?

Kisa tries not to think about it. Her onee-chan wouldn't think about it. Her onee-chan loves everyone best.

Mostly, Kisa thinks. Kisa smiles slightly. She knows who her onee-chan loves—like that.

It makes Kisa happy that her onee-chan can be happy.

Her onee-chan makes Kisa happy. Hiro-chan makes Kisa happy. Kisa thinks she loves them both equally best.

But Hiro-chan wants her to love him best—only him.

He doesn't know, Kisa thinks, he doesn't know I do love him just as much as I love my onee-chan, but different.

She loves Hiro-chan in a different way than she loves her onee-chan. Kisa blushes. She does love Hiro-chan—like that.

When she is with her onee-chan, she feels warm, but when she is with Hiro-chan her heart beats very fast and she blushes a lot.

Her onee-chan says that means she loves Hiro-chan—like that. Her onee-chan would know. She blushes a lot around Kyo-nii-san. Kisa knows her onee-chan loves Kyo-nii-san.

It makes Kisa happy.

But Hiro-chan does not know this...that Kisa likes him—like that.

And so, Kisa thinks, he is jealous.

He is jealous because he thinks if Kisa does not love him—like that, like he loves her, then she could at least love him more than she loves her onee-chan.

Kisa sighs. Haru-nii and her onee-chan both say to tell Hiro-chan how she feels, because they he won't be jealous anymore, and that bad smell will go away.

Kisa thinks she does not like that smell at all.

It makes Kisa sad.

So maybe...maybe someday she'll tell him.

Someday, Kisa thinks, I will tell him...that I love him. Like that. Kisa smiles and blushes again.

Someday. And then, Kisa thinks, he won't have to be jealous anymore.

_Fin_

**Author's Notes:**

I'll take one fic, short with lots of sweetener, topped with extra fluff and a sprinkling of romance.

(Okay, I admit it—I read that in another fic. I forget which one, but whoever first thought it up is very clever. Unlike me, obviously. :pouts:)

See! See! I told you I'd write it eventually. And I like it too! It returns to the original plot format of the first two fics. The style is different from all the others though. The third-person point-of-view just works for Kisa. She's young, also. Middle-school. So I didn't use as many big words or anything like that. I did the best I could. This is how Kisa seems to me. This is how she has appeared to me, after much thinking and perusing of the Furuba chapters she is in.

Don't tell me I got the honorifics wrong, because I know I didn't, because I happen to really like the use of original Japanese honorifics and so I make sure I have them right according to Fruits Basket. The only thing is that I don't know how she addresses Kyo. I don't think she dislikes him—I just don't think they're close. And so I have her call him Kyo-nii-san because it's polite, he is several years earlier than her, and they must be sort of close. That is how it seems to me. So deal! Although if you do know what she calls him—she hasn't said his name once to my admittedly extensive knowledge—please let me know.

Which brings me to the portion of my admittedly extensive author's notes section where I beg you to review and let me know what you thought! I like this chapter perhaps best of all. Well, I wrote them all, so I pretty much like all of them. But don't review and tell me what I thought of it! Review and let me know what YOU thought of it! Was it an accurate portrayal of Kisa's character? I did try. Did you think it was sweet? Cute? Funny? Truthful? Does it make sense?

So many questions—and only one way to answer! Review!

Audley-kun (See? I use them too!)


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